Praying some this morning and this is what was put on me.  Let's dig into it.

• You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, strength, and Mind.
• If you love Me you will keep my commandments.
• We love Him because He first loved us.

Loving God is a decision seasoned with emotions. The Lord calls us to an experiential relationship with Him. So much of His word speaks of that, and it shows forth in the trinity. We need to remind ourselves that we are “grafted in(Romans 11:17)”, and Jesus prayed that we would be one with each other and with God (John 17:20). Relationships take time, one-on-one time.

Listening means we interact with the Lord in prayer and listen for Him in our spirit. He said “you will find Me when you seek me, when you seek me with all your heart you will find me” and “He will keep in perfect peace him/her whose mind is stayed in Him”. There is so much more in His word about our relationship with Him. We are called to abide, listen, and act. The result: peace, joy, and healing removed from our circumstances. We are spirits in bodies and need to realize our identity, connection, authority, and responsibility in Christ. When I was younger in my faith I had not explored or realized the fullness of His word that speaks of relationship Spirit to spirit. I had not sought, believed, and understood that being filled with the Holy Spirit was key. Surely the written word is an anchor, but it is not a constraint. Loving and listening are active and alive.

Leading as lead to by the Spirit. Things come to fullness or fruition when we move in the relationship with Him. Jesus said, “apart from Me you can do nothing”. The scriptures tell us “We are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. (Ephesians 2:10)” It has been said we “co-labor” with Christ. This is not a labor under duress but one under love and joy. Believe it, receive it, and walk in it!

So many have been told the lie that you live a life on earth and that is it. In your alone time, as you meditate or contemplate life, you can sense that is a lie. It’s a horrible, sad lie. God created you “in His image” to choose to bind to Him and spend eternity with Him in peace and Joy we can barely begin to comprehend. I sense Him and His great desire to have me, communing with Him. It can be overwhelming, but also exciting and affirming. We see time and time again the Lord stating these things throughout His word (Song of Solomon, Isaiah 54:10).

Now abiding means filled with the Spirit, being light and salt, shining and walking as the Son of Man did when he was on earth (Mark 16:17-18). Remembering 1 Corinthians 13:2 .

Being a technical person by nature, a computer scientist, writing does not flow, and I must push into it. Obviously, I have not kept up on this blog, no excuses just a lot going on with family sickness and moving all over the place. Anyway, when I wanted to start “itisfinished” I tried registering it and the domain “.work” was suggested by WordPress. Yes, I hear you Lord. We have been trying to get back into a house for a long time, but based on the criteria needed it has been very challenging. Finally, something shows up. We look at it, meets the needs, and is priced acceptable. It is on Narrowpath way. Yup, you heard that right.

So, I hope to post more about the finished work of our awesome God, staying on the Narrowpath.

I beheld, then, that they all went on till they came to the foot of the Hill Difficulty; at the bottom of which was a spring. There were also in the same place two other ways besides that which came straight from the gate; one turned to the left hand, and the other to the right, at the bottom of the hill; but the narrow way lay right up the hill, and the name of the going up the side of the hill is called Difficulty. Christian now went to the spring, and drank thereof, to refresh himself, and then began to go up the hill, saying—

“The hill, though high, I covet to ascend,
The difficulty will not me offend;
For I perceive the way to life lies here.
Come, pluck up heart, let’s neither faint nor fear;
Better, though difficult, the right way to go,
Than wrong, though easy, where the end is woe.” …………..Pilgrim’s Progress

As I write this the world continues to declare its pain loudly. Confusion, strife, people against people in ways that defy any sense of comprehension. Yet I am reminded through the Spirit and his word that the battle is spiritual not temporal. Our weapons are not carnal but powerful pulling down strongholds. I am also reminded as the nations rage we are called to be still and know that He is God. Still there are times of sadness knowing the plight of so many women and children in human trafficking, and as I go about my day so many people with signs asking for money. Most homeless, in that state for a host of bad reasons. Give them so money, maybe food, share the Gospel pray, connect them with help.

As we pray are we in self examination? God entrusts us with so much, we need to and can handle it to his Glory, ushering in the kingdom. I have heard it by more than one preacher; Is the Lord’s coming delayed because His people are not busy enough harvesting? I can only answer for myself, as can you. Still we are called to encourage each other in good works. I like the amplified version for this one. And let us consider and give attentive, continuous care to watching over one another, studying how we may stir up (stimulate and incite) to love and helpful deeds and noble activities. Hebrews 10:24

All these people, all the hurt, all the chaos and yet the single thing that solves it all, that shows the most important, the most powerful thing, is relationship, real relationship. There’s something in relationship, true love, that is the point, that is eternally healing that is deep, thick. We need choose to have love, we need Him, to change and grow into fullness, understanding and getting it. The mess hurts, its lonely, painful. Yet there is a calling to unite with Him releasing power and moving to be there (His space). It is finished! Will you take it.

Wherefore, gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance, but as he who has called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation. Because it is written, “Be ye holy; for I am holy.” (1 Peter 1:13-16)

Take off your sandals, you are on holy ground.  Don’t bring the world into the kingdom.  God said I am holy, you will be holy also.  To abide, to commune we as new creations must, as the word and the Spirit say: with a “clean” heart, working out our salvation with fear and trembling (not taking our salvation lightly).  We armor up and resist the devil for the God of love and righteousness is completely holy and wants to have this intimate relationship with man (created in his image).

His plan involving our choices has us as position-ally perfect and practically desiring to move more and more in alignment with that reality.  When you realized through the Spirit of God your need and who Jesus is and were born of that Spirit you were no longer “a wretch like me”.  Your identity is a child of the most high God.  

Now the word tells us of sin and repentance, even for the child of God.  As we continue to push in and make God number one declaring him as wives, fathers, workers in the world, we crucify the flesh .  How?  By dwelling with Him.  Be there “if you love me you will keep my commandments” and He will give us the Holy Spirit.  So we have what we need, in the written word and the Spirit to live as Jesus has called us to live.  We need to decide to do it.

Finally, it is so important to remember you are a member of a body.  We need to bind together, be accountable to each other, serve each other and above all else love each other.

Put yourself in the father’s perspective as he pours out his wrath on his son, as he separates himself from his son. The only “time” he ever was or will be separated from his son. Perfect intimacy, deeper than we can currently comprehend, intentionally broken for you, for me, for all who would call on the name of Jesus.

Was praying and listening to some worship music and the Spirit brought me to that place spoken of in Revelation 7:9 and Revelation 5:11-14.

Can you see it?

Can you feel it?

Can you hear it?

Billions of people surrounding the throne, worshiping, loving and being loved by the one true living God?  The King of kings!  The alpha and omega!

Close your eyes, worship and be there, for you are “seated with Christ in the heavenlies” now!   You are a new creation in Christ!  Make “the joy of the Lord your strength”.    Abide!