Treasures of Grace

Treasures of Grace.

I believe there are certain seasons, when what has been known in eternity has its beginning in time. Treasures of grace were buried inside of us the day we came into the faith in Jesus Christ.

Colossians 2:3 in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.

Colossians 2:9 For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, and you have been given fullness in Christ, who is the head over every power and authority

Just like a buried treasure is found by someone only because it was first buried by some one else, so it is that our Father packed into us the wealth of His Son because we are now found in Christ.

There is abundant provision of grace made available to us who receive it. (Rom 5:17) Even though we have all of Christ and grace within us it take the event of time to come into an experience of what has been granted us in the kingdom. It takes time to reveal all the grace which has been poured over us.

Ephesians 1: 9 And he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, to be put into effect when the times will have reached their fulfillment—to bring all things in heaven and on earth together under one head, even Christ.

When the times have reached their fulfillment...the eternal manifests in time at that moment.

Ephesians 2:6 And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus.

It is going to take the coming age of eternity to see the depth of the incomparable riches of his grace which God worked on our behalf in Time. And yet heaven is ruled by Grace, which means there is a view and experience of grace reserved for us in a timeless eternity.

We need to realize that we have a grace filled future because we have a grace fill past. Everyday we have encounters in life which call up the grace God has granted us. He is eternal and knows the end from the beginning. He has thoroughly equipped us with everything we need in life and godliness. A grace from heaven as been revealed which teaches us to deny ungodliness to live godly, self-controlled, upright lives in this present age as we wait with anticipation for His Return.

In God's wisdom, He has buried grace within our hearts, and certain life situations activate that grace and call it into action. It is because of our glorious past, what we entered into when we came into Christ, that gives us confidence and hope for glorious days ahead. I believe that is why at times we have a deja vu experience. Who we are known as in eternity breaks into our experience in time and testifies to His grace. We are living in time and eternity at the same time. Eternity is not something we are coming into, but something we have access to now. It is good to ask ourselves some questions. Who am I in eternity? When in time will that person be revealed as though I have always been that way? I had a friend tell me that once you have kids it is like you always had them. Memories before you had kids seem to include your kids after you had them. The eternal “us” is the mature accomplished us. If we could look back from our end to our beginning, we would see how God has set up our every step, because that is his perspective. I don't know how to end this, so I will leave here for your consideration...

mjh.

Pentecosts--david

He crowned the mountain with fire

With a never setting sun

and scribed stone with laws all angle and edge

that men and mankind would fear him and draw close

Did they know that when they in unlawful fashion forged His face in bronze and moses shattered the tablets against the hard rock of their hearts?

So, he set a flame on us. Crowned us with a fire, this second moses, descending from the mountains of High Heaven to give us law of livingbreathingflesh—growing—curved like the branches of a tree of Life once denied

That we would forge ourselves (even as he forges us) in his image

That men and mankind would fear him and draw close

An ever encircling, tightening embrace that no chisel could etch or sever

HS.

I was in a time of prayer with a close friend when I had a flash of a vision of a characteristic of who Holy Spirit is.

I saw Him sitting in a white, wicker chair with his back toward me. He had long brown hair and was wearing a white suit coat, white slacks, white shoes. The place was white and it was all very pure.

I knew that He was looking over the whole earth, although I couldn't see it. He was reclining in a relaxed fashion, legs crossed, left arm resting on the arm of the chair.

In a moment He shifted. His weight moved, He uncrossed and recrossed His legs and leaned over onto the right arm of the chair. And in that one confident, comfortable, simple move, the earth shook. Things were set right. Set in motion. Released.

Pure Simple Ultimate Powerful
He is beautiful.

Also posted here

Psalm 68 May God arise, may his enemies be scattered;
may his foes flee before him.
May you blow them away like smoke—
as wax melts before the fire,
may the wicked perish before God.
But may the righteous be glad
and rejoice before God may they be happy and joyful.

I am willing to bet this is a Psalm packed with prophetic declaration. Jesus is the God who has risen. Risen from the dead and risen from the earth and ascended above all powers and rulers and dominions. With the rising of the Lord, His enemies have been scattered. Death, sin, hell the devil have all been scattered forever. They will remain scattered forever because Jesus will always and forever be the risen Lord. That work will never ever be diminished or undone in effectiveness and power and importance. He will always be risen ascended even if he descended into the deepest parts of hell or the sea. His status of being risen and ascended always accompanies Him.

When you, God, went out before your people,
when you marched through the wilderness,
the earth shook, the heavens poured down rain,
before God, the One of Sinai,
before God, the God of Israel.
You gave abundant showers, O God;
you refreshed your weary inheritance.
Your people settled in it,
and from your bounty, God, you provided for the poor.

The earth shakes because an eternally risen Lord walks in the Land, even through his people. We don't just have the Lord living in us we have the Risen Lord extending His risen reign through us. Which means shock waves of His ascended reality radiates through the earth as his people move on the earth while embracing the result of Jesus' ascended work.

When you ascended on high,
you took many captives;
you received gifts from people,
even from the rebellious that you, LORD God, might dwell there.

This is where Paul gets this revelation for Ephesians 4 wisdom:

But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned , this is why it says: “When he ascended on high,
he took many captives
and gave gifts to his people.”

What does “he ascended” mean except that he also descended to the lower, earthly regions? He who descended is the very one who ascended higher than all the heavens, in order to fill the whole universe. So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.

The power and authority of Jesus' ascension scatters His enemies before our feet, because He enforces His risen status through a Church that embraces the result of His work.--gifts. When we embrace and value apostolic, prophetic, evangelistic, pastoral, and teaching gifts, our enemies which are His enemies scatter. I will give you every place where you set your foot. He has risen! His enemies are scattered!

m.

The Waters of Life

Matthew 14:22-32

²² Immediately after this, Jesus insisted that his disciples get back into the boat and cross to the other side of the lake, while he sent the people home. ²³ After sending them home, he went up into the hills by himself to pray. Night fell while he was there alone.

²⁴ Meanwhile, the disciples were in trouble far away from land, for a strong wind had risen, and they were fighting heavy waves. ²⁵ About three o’clock in the morning Jesus came toward them, walking on the water. ²⁶ When the disciples saw him walking on the water, they were terrified. In their fear, they cried out, “It’s a ghost!”

²⁷ But Jesus spoke to them at once. “Don’t be afraid,” he said. “Take courage. I am here!”

²⁸ Then Peter called to him, “Lord, if it’s really you, tell me to come to you, walking on the water.”

²⁹ “Yes, come,” Jesus said.

So Peter went over the side of the boat and walked on the water toward Jesus. ³⁰ But when he saw the strong wind and the waves, he was terrified and began to sink. “Save me, Lord!” he shouted.

³¹ Jesus immediately reached out and grabbed him. “You have so little faith,” Jesus said.“Why did you doubt me?”

³² When they climbed back into the boat, the wind stopped. ³³ Then the disciples worshiped him. “You really are the Son of God!” they exclaimed.

With all that has been happening in life for our family over the last couple of months the Lord has been speaking to me a great deal through these verses found in Matthew 14.

I admire and am inspired by Peter's cry to come out of the boat and go walking on the water! I mean he is asking to go walking on the water?? Yet I find that Jesus is in no way whatsoever intimidated or overwhelmed by his request. Jesus responds and grants Peter's crazy request!

Could it be we have not seen that which we believe to be impossible in our lives overcome by the power of God because we have been too timid to ask? Does fear or unbelief win over in your heart every time you consider the things in your life that seem too big or complex for the Lord to work out or provide for?

Is there a cry within you that lifts up to the Father for something more? I am glad that Peter had a cry within him for the impossible! That request could have been made by any of the other 11, but it was Peter that sensed the voice of Jesus and understood that a window of opportunity had opened to experience something miraculous!

Peter walked on the water while the other 11 were satisfied to stay afloat in a structure built by human hands...

At best the other 11 were just going to remain afloat on the water...but that wasn't enough for Peter...are you satisfied with life as you know it to be? Are you okay with just floating along in a life that is being held up by human effort and ability alone?

Peter abandoned his common sense and made up his mind that his time was now! If your next step always has to be one that is logical or one that makes perfect sense to you, then you are going to miss out on some of the most amazing opportunities that the Lord will put before you!

Peter was stepping into something that hadn't been done before...it wasn't supposed to be possible for him...it defied all reason and wisdom...yet he climbed out and walked!

Peter wasn't walking on the certainty of his situation...he was walking upon the certainty of the words of the one that called him to the water top!

What does the water represent for you? What is it that the Lord has been speaking to your heart and tugging at you to trust Him for?

Are you willing to live out the rest of your days to see impossibilities bow to the name of Jesus? There is no limit to what the Father can do through a trusting heart and a submitted life!

Your time is NOW to climb out and begin to walk!

mdow.

Full.

Breath
Word
You
Spoke the empty full
Darkness drowned by light
The void made whole
Breath
Cry
You
Sorrow answered
Child Son Savior
Abounding in favor
Breath
Dying
You
Wore sin clothing
Perfect atonement
Plunged and arising
Breath
Giving
You
Head Priest and King
This love surpassing
Fully filling
Breath
Worshiping
You
A body rising
His Bride maturing
Measure not wanting

Ephesians 1:22 - 23
And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.

Ephesians 3:17 - 19
And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ,and to know this love that surpasses knowledge--that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

Ephesians 4:11 - 13
So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.

r.

Also posted here

11.11

Proverbs 16:9 (NLT)
We can make our plans,
but the Lord determines our steps.

Whenever I see 11:11 on the clock (which tends to be pretty often) I am reminded of a word God spoke to me several years ago after seeking out the reason I was seeing elevens everywhere. He said, in a voice quite not to be mistaken, You are not ready for what I am about to do. And thus followed the most incredible chain of events my 20-some years had ever seen. Boy howdy!

Fast forward about five years...

This morning as I was planning all these steps in my mind to get us moved, and then all the steps that would follow finally setting foot on NC soil, I looked at the clock and, as I once again saw 11:11, heard so clearly, You are not ready for what I am about to do. It was not a rebuke. Not a "pay attention, kid." Not even a fanfare heralding the entrance of a Wonder. No, there was a twinkle. A hint of a smile. A teasing.

And I realized, here I am (albeit using the God-given gifts of administration and planning that I possess), trying my hardest to map out every minute of the next few months so that nothing can take me by surprise. No way do I want to be caught unawares! And yet the whole beautiful mess is that I can plan all I want, but my steps are absolutely directed by YHWH YHWH God. And that should excite me!

Isaiah 40:12-14 (NLT)
The Lord Has No Equal
Who else has held the oceans in his hand?
Who has measured off the heavens with his fingers?
Who else knows the weight of the earth
or has weighed the mountains and hills on a scale?
Who is able to advise the Spirit of the Lord?
Who knows enough to give him advice or teach him?
Has the Lord ever needed anyone’s advice?
Does he need instruction about what is good?

It's laughable, really. That I would think I need to advise the God that created me and mapped out my entire life, that I would need to remind Him of this or that...just in case He would forget some important detail!

I would be terribly embarrassed if we weren't enjoying the absurdity of it all together, Him and I.

Oh goodness.

So, I really am not ready for what He is about to do, but I want to be. Spirit of God, make me one who is waiting and watching and aware of Your every move in order to move with You.

And thank You, again, for the reminder.

r.

Also posted here