ASK...

Today's sermon focused on the Kingdom of God...

And He said, "How shall we picture the kingdom of God, or by what parable shall we present it? It is like a mustard seed, which, when sown upon the soil, though it is smaller than all the seeds that are upon the soil, yet when it is sown, it grows up and becomes larger than all the garden plants and forms large branches; so that the birds of the air can nest under its shade."

Mark 4:30-31 NASB

His Kingdom... can be pictured... as a mustard seed...

The pastor paints the picture of the small mustard seed... being small everyday acts of kindness... which when sown into the lives of those around us... grows the Kingdom of God...

And he talks about a secular movement which became popular several years ago... ARK... Acts of Random Kindness... passing along kindness to others... without expectation of return...

Examples he gave included... paying for the person's order behind you in the drive through as you pay for yours... or regularly picking up the paper of your elderly neighbor and moving it from the curb to the front porch...

But it occurs to me... there is nothing random about kindness...

Kindness is a movement of God...

for we are created in His image...

and for Believers... it is an aspect of the fruit of the Holy Spirit...

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness,

goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control;

against such things there is no law.

Galatians 5:22-23 NASB

The Holy Spirit leads Believers to acts of kindness...

there is nothing random about it...

It may seem random simply because of the nature of the Spirit...

"The wind blows where it wishes and you hear the sound of it,

but do not know where it comes from and where it is going;

so is everyone who is born of the Spirit." ---Jesus

John 3:8 NASB

The Spirit blows like the wind through our lives...

and we don't know where it's going... where it's come from...

When we hear that still small Voice...

the idea popping in our heads... feeling a bit random... 

like round up carts in the Wal-Mart parking lot... when it's not your job...

or picking up your neighbor's trashcan and garbage strewn about by a dog that's not yours...

or simply picking up trash along the street as you're out getting Fitbit steps...

it's the Holy Spirit calling you to grace someone with an act of kindness...

bear fruit for the Kingdom...

And the step of faith is the unseen nature of the whole thing...

how these calls to seemingly random acts of kindness grow the Kingdom...

And it's a step of faith to obey even when it makes no sense to us...

or humbles us by doing a dirty job... or cleaning up someone else's mess...

And it's a step of faith... to consider the odd idea... to be His voice...

We should ASK...

Ask Him to call us to Acts of Spirit-led Kindness...

those things He wants to use in someone else's life...

and not for our own glory... but for His...

Because of our broken nature... we often do the right thing for the wrong reason... which does nothing for His Kingdom...

All of us have become like one who is unclean,

and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags...

Isaiah 64:6 NIV

He tells us not to lean on our own understanding...

but trust Him with all our hearts...

which I believe includes listening to the Holy Spirit...

and the seemingly random things He calls us to...

So we won't miss His voice...

ASK Him each day... to open your heart to hear His call...

to Acts of Spirit-led Kindness...

which grow His Kingdom...

and are not just random...

resting in change...

"... The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound,

but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes.

So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit."

John 3:8 ESV

Change...

it's generally something we don't look forward to...

it comes with too many unknowns...

too many things to work out...

too much work...

Routine can be comfortable...

empowering even...

When we know what's coming...

and exactly how we're going to handle it...

we deceive ourselves into thinking we are in control...

This is the comfort zone of the flesh...

control...

But life with the Spirit is different...

we must accept right up front...

we are NOT in control...

To follow the Spirit is continual change...

not in core truths...

but in methods... modes...

The Spirit changes direction...

the Word says... it's like the weather...

winds shifting... and we are to follow...

unknown to us why... or where...

It came to mind over the last couple of weeks...

this new "series"... rest in Him...

I thought it would be like the two before...

lean on Him...

wait on Him...

But it's been completely different...

I tried at first to make it like the others...

searching the concordance...

noting verses...

going through the list... one by one...

seeking truth... and what He had to teach...

The list of rest verses...

has been abandoned...

as these days of writing rest in Him...

comes with a phrase or word picture...

He brings to mind...

of what it looks like to rest in Him...

He leads me to Scripture depicting rest in Him...

without using the word... rest...

So I've followed...

reluctantly letting go of the list...

the comfort of knowing what comes next...

but finding myself wondering...

how long will this series go...?

where is it going...?

will I know when it's done...?

Following the Spirit...

is learning the art...

of resting in change...

Reminders we are not in control...

and we don't need to be...

because He is...

Thus says God, the Lord, who created the heavens and stretched them out,

who spread out the earth and what comes from it,

who gives breath to the people on it and spirit to those who walk in it:

"I am the Lord; I have called you in righteousness;

I will take you by the hand and keep you;

I will give you as a covenant for the people, a light for the nations,

to open the eyes that are blind, to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon,

from the prison those who sit in darkness.

...

And I will lead the blind in a way that they do not know,

in paths that they have not known I will guide them.

I will turn the darkness before them into light,

the rough places into level ground. These things I do,

and I do not forsake them. ..."

Isaiah 42:5-7, 16

Amen...!

wait on Him... Jude 17-23...

But you must remember, beloved, the predictions

of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ. They said to you,

"In the last time there will be scoffers, following their own

ungodly passions." It is these who cause divisions, worldly people,

devoid of the Spirit. But you, beloved, building yourselves up

in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, keep

yourselves in the love of God, waiting for the mercy of our

Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life. And have mercy

on those who doubt; save others by snatching them out of the fire;

to others show mercy with fear, hating even the garment stained

by the flesh.

Jude 17-23 ESV

Another Word on waiting in the last time...

there will be scoffers... worldly... Spirit-less people...

dividers... both in the church... and outside the church...

They will follow their own passions... and not God...

we wait with these people...

and in a way... wait on...

Through holy faith... and Spirit-filled prayer...

we prepare to wait...

offering mercy to doubters...

snatching some right out of the fire... by our love and witness...

showing fearful mercy... to those whose garments are stained...

remembering to love the person... but hate the sin of the flesh...

Through faith and prayer...

we keep ourselves in love with God...

who enables us to love as He does...

to truly love... with Spirit-filled godly love...

and not the perverted sympathetic love of the flesh...

True love sees right from wrong...

let's God define sin...

and hates to see anyone led astray from His Truth...

Love does not allow a child to play in the street...

Love does not allow a brother in Christ to play around with sin...

both deadly games...

We now reside in the last time...

waiting on Him...

How are you at loving scoffers...?

being merciful to the lost...?

offering love to those with ungodly passions?

The temptation I've faced lately...

one pointed out to me recently...

is to check out... back off...

quit offering what I have...

because nobody seems interested...

in Truth... in His Word... in His Way...

As the thought flew threw my mind Why continue...?

He quickly brought to mind His Word...

"No one after lighting a lamp puts it in a cellar

or under a basket, but on a stand, so that those who enter

may see the light. ..."

Luke 11:33 ESV

Light... those of us who know Him...

have Him shining in our hearts...

have an obligation... to let Him shine...

share Him with others...

even the scoffers...

the uninterested...

and those who don't want it...

For God, who said, "Let light shine out of darkness," has shone in our hearts

to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

2 Corinthians 4:6 ESV

That's what we're called to do...

in the last time... in a dark world...

shine with all the faith He blessed us with...

This last time message...

is the last in the series of...

wait on Him...

So now I wait...

to see what's next...

Amen...

feeling Wind blown...

Feeling wind blown today...
even though it's not particularly windy outside...

A day approached with some goals...
some to do's in mind...
but the day seems to be overtaken by the blowing of the Spirit...

Clean up...
Rewrite...
Pursue what's missing...

Blowing from one thing to another...

with other plans for the day...

leaves many piles around the house...

Trusting Him for where He's blowing...

what He's stirring up...

Trusting it is Him I'm hearing...

"...The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound,

but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes.

So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit."
John 3:8 ESV

Lord Jesus... trusting it is Your Spirit I hear directing my day...

and if it's my own fleshly fickleness... trusting You...

to work it all for good...

sometimes... His way is just counterintuitive...

Teaching fourth graders Bible today... we talked about temptation...
and Jesus's bout with it in the wilderness... right after His baptism...

Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness

to be tempted by the devil.

Matthew 4:1 NIV

I asked the question... Who led Jesus into the wilderness to be tempted...?

Not one... but two said... Satan... The devil...

Then I reminded them... Read the Scripture... that's where you'll find the answer...

Heads turned down to open books...

In a moment one read... Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted...

Some eyes went wide as they realized...

God led Jesus into the wilderness...

He ordained this time of temptation...

It just seems counterintuitive... that God the Father...

would set His Son up... to be tempted...

But in His sovereignty... that's what He does...

For Jesus it was a test... proving Himself as the Lamb of God...

sinless... without blemish... able to resist... remain pure...

For us... when He allows temptation in our lives...

leading us... calling us... into the wilderness at times...

it's an opportunity to build spiritual muscle...

Jesus had a purpose in the desert...
He fasted forty days and forty nights...
practiced a spiritual discipline...

Anytime we enter into a spiritual discipline...
especially fasting... we enter a wilderness...
invite temptation...

Again... it's purposeful... a time to build spiritual muscle...

Every time we resist temptation... we grow in faith...

strengthen our ability to obey...

Even when we fall to temptation... we learn to recognize it a little sooner when it comes... for us it's about being transformed spiritually into Christ's character...

Remember... God's way is not always what we think it should be...

sometimes... it leads us to difficulties... trials... temptations...

No one undergoing a trial should say,

"I am being tempted by God." For God is not tempted

by evil, and He Himself doesn't tempt anyone.

But each person is tempted when he is drawn away

and enticed by his own evil desires.

James 1:13-14 HCSB

So the next time you face temptation...

remember... in His sovereignty... He allowed it...

but at the heart of each temptation...are your own evil desires...

Desires that need to be identified... and eliminated...

Temptation... a time for spiritual purification... when we stand firm and resist...

No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man.

God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond

your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide

the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.

1 Corinthians 10:13 ESV

Trust Him with the temptations He allows in your life...

it's counterintuitive... I know... but it has a purpose...

ten days...

Ten days...
the days grow shorter...
and the time till Christmas closer...

What emotion rises first...? as you think of the shortness of time...?
Is that the response He wants you to have...?

He came to reveal...
He came to teach...
He came to show us how to live...
He came to empower us to live like Him...

There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse,

and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit.

And the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him,

the Spirit of wisdom and understanding,

the Spirit of counsel and might,

the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord.

Isaiah 11:1-2 ESV

All Jesus did... He did in the power of the Spirit...

His living...

His loving...

His trusting...

His teaching...

By the power of the Holy Spirit...

He lived dependent on the Father...

This is what He showed us...

the power of the Spirit...

This is what He gave us...

made the Way for...

the empowering of the Spirit...

"... Nevertheless, I tell you the truth:

it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away,

the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you. ..."

John 16:7 ESV

Jesus... He teaches... shows... models for us...

life in the power of the Spirit...

He made the Way... for us to be empowered by the Spirit...

The Holy Spirit... God... His Breath... His Soul...

could not live in hearts condemned by sin...

Through Jesus's sacrifice... He cleansed our souls... our hearts...

so we might have communion... fellowship... peace... with God...

Through the Way of forgiveness by faith in Christ Jesus...

we receive the indwelling of the Spirit...

The same power that sustained Jesus...

empowered Him in all His Ways...

from teaching to healing...

from dying to rising...

and everything in between...

dwells in us... abides in us... 

this is by Whom we are to live...

"Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also

do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do,

because I am going to the Father. ..." --- Jesus

John 14:12 ESV

Upon rising from the grave...

He went to the Father...

and the Father sent the promised Holy Spirit...

by Whom we are to live...

doing even greater works than He...

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace,

patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,

gentleness, self-control...

Galatians 5:22-23 ESV

How are you when it comes to living like Jesus...? dependent on... empowered by the Spirit...? is there evidence of fruit...? is there evidence of your dependence on Him...?

Lord Jesus... thank You for making the Way...

Thank You for the Spirit...

Thank You for showing me the Way...

Bless me with the ability to walk in the Spirit...

to walk Your Way...

life with Him... it's just weird...

weird adjective... 1: of, or relating to, or caused by witchcraft or the supernatural... 2: of strange or extraordinary character: odd, fantastic

---Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary (11th Edition)

Yes... weird... supernatural... extraordinary... odd... fantastic... life with Him is weird...

No... He does not dabble in witchcraft... nor do I... this is but a perversion of what He created...

The Creator Himself... supernatural...
The work of the Son... supernatural...
The Holy Spirit... supernatural...

I've had some evidence of this over the last two days...
fantastic... evidence of His presence... His Spirit...

Both incidents involved prayer... the exercise of intentionally coming before our supernatural Creator... and faithfully speaking to Him... sight unseen... (Yes... odd... from a worldly... secular... perspective...)

The first happened during my morning time with Him...
a simple question asked... seeking confirmation on my behavior...
Lord... have I been light...? or contributed to the darkness?
Have I been helpful...? or hurtful...?

Having asked... I settled into my devotion... within moments of the prayer... the answer came in the form of another's question... seeking help... on lighting a lighter...

Yes... I helped... bringing light to a lighter...

In that moment... in the Spirit... it was clear... the answer to my question... Yes... you have been a light... Yes... you have been helpful...

Weird... awesome... but weird...

The second... in a group prayer time... Moms In Prayer International... to be exact...

[I'll jump on a soapbox here for a minute... my daughter just recently said I had many... but if you are not involved in a regular time of prayer with other Believers... conversational... Spirit-led... Scripture-based prayer... you are missing out... He Himself says... For where two or three are gathered in my name... there am I among them...]

In this time of prayer... we came to a topic... I was not really prepared to pray...

I was not leading this particular time of prayer... so I waited for the leader to move on... which I was sure she would... hoping she would... as the silence continued...

God had placed a specific prayer on my heart... but it just seemed too weird... so I stalled... wondering really if I was to pray it... not wanting to be disobedient... but really... trust me... it was just too weird...

The leader... after much silence... said... We have to pray this topic...!

I said... No way...! Really...!

The Spirit would not allow her to continue through the prayer guide without praying specifically right where we were... and... Oh... I had been given specifics... (let me reiterate...) that seemed just too weird to pray...!

Needless to say... with her prompting by the Spirit... I prayed by faith... what He placed on my heart...

I really just couldn't believe it... He placed a prayer on my heart... and made sure it got prayed...

In our own personal prayer time... we would probably not pray something weird if we were unsure if it was from our own heart or His...

In a group moment... the power of the Spirit takes over... prayers are affirmed... confirmed... by your partners in prayer... when they are faithfully led by the Holy Spirit...

So not only did I pray what I felt He was calling me to pray... but received confirmation that I was to pray it...

Really...?!

Life with Him... it's just weird...

"...The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound,

but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes.

So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit."

John 3:8 ESV

Father God... thank You for evidence of Your presence...

and the movement of the Spirit in my life...

Grow me to trust You more... even when it just seems weird...

[Note... the writing of this post seems weird... feels weird... I've questioned several times if these were the words for today... as I ask... they just seem to grow louder in my heart...

So today... maybe one of you needs confirmation of something weird in your life... or maybe... you have something weird you'd like to share with us... at this table... or maybe you just need to be made aware... that life with Him is weird...

Just let us know... the comment box can be found at the bottom of the post at JeremiahsMenu.blogspot.com... Click the post title... and scroll to the bottom...]

the Gift...

The second week of a study...
a second week of lectio divina...
this week's passage... Acts 2:29-38...

This Jesus God raised up...

having received from the Father the promise

of the Holy Spirit, he has poured out this

that you yourselves are seeing and hearing.

...the gift of the Holy Spirit.

Acts 2:32-38 ESV

Do you see it...?

Jesus's obedience... led to His perfection... and glorification...

in response... the Father gave Him... the promised Holy Spirit...

Before His crucifixion... suffering... and resurrection...

Jesus did not have the Holy Spirit to give...

...for as yet the Spirit had not been given,

because Jesus was not yet glorified.

John 7:39 ESV

Father God promised it to Him... 

on completion of His mission on earth...

and return to heaven...

He Himself had access to the Spirit...

but He could not give it to others...

Jesus obeyed to receive the promised Gift...

One He could pour out on us... as gift...

The Holy Spirit is a gift of love...

an affirmation of His love for us...

The Holy Spirit... the Gift of the Lover... to the beloved...

And I wonder... 

Do I receive this Gift... in the same manner... in which it was given...? a love willing to lay down my life in order to gift the One I love...? Will I allow Him to perfect me through suffering... as a gift... to my Beloved...?

What about you...? do you recognize the depth of love... wrapped up in the Gift...? How do you respond...?

Lord... grow me to love You... as You love me...

I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live,

but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh

I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me

and gave himself for me.

Galatians 2:20 ESV

empowered to be an echo...

A spiritual discipline assigned through a study...
lectio divina... divine reading of the Word...

The passage assigned... Acts 2:1-12...
This passage portrays the birth of the Church...
the pouring out of the Holy Spirit on His people...
The Spirit empowered the disciples to tell the mighty works of God to those who were present...

When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place. And suddenly there came from heaven a sound... it filled the entire house... And divided tongues as of fire... rested on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance.

Now there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men from every nation under heaven. And at this sound the multitude came together... bewildered, because each one was hearing them speak in his own language. ... "...we hear them telling... the mighty works of God."...

 ---Acts 2:1-11, ESV

What caught my attention was the arrival of the Spirit as a sound...

I've heard Him called wind... and fire...
but never really noticed the Spirit arrived as a sound...
a sound like wind... but not wind...
the Spirit came from heaven as a sound...

Seeking word origin in Greek... I find...

echos (ay-khos)... 1. a sound, noise... 2. rumour, report

---Enhanced Strong's Lexicon

Do you see it...?
Yes... it's true...
The Greek word for sound in this verse... echos...
is the origin for our English word... echo...

And I remember the Holy Spirit never speaks on His own...
He only voices what He hears...
just like an echo...

 "...When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth,

for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears

he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come.

He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you.

All that the Father has is mine, therefore I said that he will

take what is mine and declare it to you. ..." ---Jesus

John 16:13-15 ESV

The Holy Spirit is an echo of truth!

In turn... as we see in verse 11 of Acts 2...

the power of the Holy Spirit comes upon us...

to speak... report... echo... what the Spirit is sharing with us...

the mighty works of God...

By the power of the Spirit...

our lives... as Believers...

should be an echo to the world...

telling all about God's mighty works...

the greatest being salvation through His Son...

the ultimate Good News of the end of the war...

the end of the enmity... between God and man...

Creator and created...

And I wonder... and ask...

Lord... am I an echo of You from heaven...?

Am I using the power He fills me with for His glory...?

All Believers... are empowered to be an echo...

a God-glorifying echo of His mighty works...

to a dark world...

Are you being an echo of heaven...? or of the world...?