Inward Knots

Roughly 5 years ago I found myself at home on a weekend afternoon laying on the couch trying to take a nap. Like most people I don't sleep well in a room full of light and I noticed that the sunlight was coming in through a window, reflecting off of the T.V. and shining right in my face. I got up and walked over to the window and while attempting to lower the blinds I found myself unable to do so seeing as the 4 strings that made up the cord had wound themselves into a knot. You know the ones I am talking about. They looked similar to the ones pictured right, although the ones on our blinds had 4 of them.

They were all so bound up with one another that I was unable to completely lower the blinds and so there I was spending a few minutes trying to untie this huge knot. After a bit of wrestling I got frustrated, walked over to my wife's sowing table and picked up a pair of scissors and proceeded to cut the knot off. I cut so much string off of that I came close to completely ruining the blinds.

Now let's do the spiritual application here. This happened at a time in my life when the Lord had me deeply entrenched in a season of what we will call prophetic riddles. Look at the following scripture.

"When a prophet of the Lord is among you, I reveal myself to him in visions, I speak to him in dreams. But this is not true of my servant Moses; he is faithful in all my house. With him I speak face to face, clearly and not in riddles; he sees the form of the Lord." Numbers 12:6-8

The word used for "riddle" in this passage is Chiydah. It means a puzzle, a hard question, a proverb or riddles. Chiydah is derived from the Hebrew word Chuwd. Chuwd means to put forth a riddle or to tie into a knot.

Over the years I have heard the Lord speak to me in a multitude of ways as I am sure you have as well. Dreams, visions, clear spoken words into the ear, wisdom and understanding within the heart, .....But I have to tell you the most demanding way I believe God speaks to his people is within the realm of riddles.

 I say riddles because the Lord will often set his words in front of us in the form of some type of riddle and then force us to wrestle with it for extended periods of time until we get peaceful understanding on what He is really telling us. He will pull us out of our comfort zone (taking a nap) and set something before us (a knot) that requires our focus, steadfastness, repentance and spiritual determination in order that we might understand it. He gives us knots to untie. He speaks to us in riddles and then tells us to look to him for understanding to solve them. Some knots are untied quickly. Some take years to get unraveled.

I did not plan on saying this but this comes to me as I write. I think we, as people, are like knots and riddles to the Lord except that he completely understands how to untie us. He knows how we got in this mess in the first place and therefore he has complete understanding on how to help us get untied inwardly and see us through to complete repentance. That is why the scripture says:

"If any of you lacks wisdom he should ask God who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him." James 1:5

The Lord has every intention of unraveling the complexity of our souls if only we will give ourselves over to him and let him lead us in continual levels of repentance and grace. Humans can be complicated, sensitive, impatient and unforgiving. Jesus offers us simple truth, a tender touch and patient forgiveness. We need to accept these opportunities for grace and power before the door closes on us and the times of the Gentiles is fulfilled (See Romans 11:25). We should be wise virgins and fill our lamps with the oil of repentance while there is yet time.

"As God's fellow workers we urge you not to receive God's grace in vain. For he says, 'In the time of my favor I heard you, and in the day of salvation I helped you.'....I tell you, now is the time of God's favor, now is the day of salvation." 2 Corinthians 6:1,2

We are confined to the realm of time and within that time we need to take advantage of our opportunity for repentance and get unraveled inside ourselves. We need to get untied. We need to be solved and repent while there is still time. We need to humble ourselves now so God doesn't have to retroactively force humility on us. Let's take advantage of the time we do have and ask the Lord to search us inwardly.

"Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting." Psalm 139:23,24

I will leave you with this. In the late winter of 1997 the Lord took me to Midland, TX for six months to begin untying some of my internal knots. While out in the desert I began to see the complexity of my soul and how the enemy had complicated my life over the years. It began with a spirit of rejection in my childhood, led to ambition in my late teens and resulted in a consistent spirit of anger when I didn't get my way. Through the years the unfulfilled gaps of my soul were filled in with alcohol and bad relationships. The Lord began to untie me and continue the multi-year process of solving the riddle of my soul. What I couldn't see before I could now see.

"I was blind, but now I see." John 9:25

This internal unraveling, this process of inward revelation is an ongoing thing. It's a multi-year process that spans decades with many of us.

I guess what I am saying is that the Lord wants to shower us with prophetic riddles to solve (Dreams, Riddles, Prophetic Symbols and Similitudes). But he only does this in accordance with the level to which we allow him to solve the complexity of our own selves internally. Before he can trust us with riddles that relate to other people he must work on us first. First he solves our inward puzzle and then we shows us the prophetic puzzle of the world around us.

It was in my time in Midland, during that season of internal revelation and cleansing, that the Lord started giving me outward prophetic riddles that pertained to other things, both circumstances and people. So riddle-solving starts inwardly and then God moves outwardly into prophetic ministry. First inward, then outward in various forms of ministry.

In the next post I will talk more of some of the prophetic riddles the Lord has given me to solve over the past decade and how one in particular applies to events in the world today.

Be Blessed,
JEB
www.miraclesinmerida.blogspot.com.

Yucatan Outreach & Early Childhood Development

This Month, the focus for the Outreach & Early Childhood Development training was on 2 year olds.

This is an excerpt I found from an America development site on 2 year olds.
"Your preschooler's brain is a beehive of activity as it forms countless new neural connections that help him understand the whats, whys, and hows of the world. To encourage an eager learner:

• Introduce him to a wide variety of playthings: big toys to push or ride, wind-up toys or jack-in-the-boxes (which show cause and effect), play sets and blocks that can be handled and stacked, puzzles, dress-up clothes, puppets, and art supplies. Rotate them to keep them fresh, storing some and bringing others out each week.
• Don't stop him from exploring things around the house.
• Stimulate all his senses. Include tactile toys (such as clay and sand) and musical toys (like a xylophone or maracas).
• Expose him to new places and experiences: a pool, a zoo, the airport.
• Always keep books around. Visit your local library often to restock."

Reality Check
Most of the Mom's we are involved with here in the Yucatan do not have the money to buy puzzles, art supplies, books, all the items listed above. They may not have a vehicle or the money to take there kids to the zoo, airport, etc.,  I think sometimes in America we take for granted what we have available for our children.

Marina, one of our good friends, is the mother of Andrew pictured above. I recently asked her about what kinds of toys she has for Andrew to play with. She looked at me very matter-of-factly and said that he played with pots and pans, tupperware and spoons. Toys are more expensive here than they are in the United States. This includes Wal Mart. Therefore, Marina spends money on diapers & food. She lives in the Yucatan without any air conditioning and in the months of May it can heat up to 110 degrees or more. Yet, she always has a smile on her face and will be the first to tell you of her love for the Lord and his provision in their lives. And when she does she is very sincere about it.

This month's Childhood Development Training was to support these Mom's in their desire to raise healthy children. We began with a time of worship together with Marina's gift of song and guitar. These ladies have a close bond with each other and you will see 3 generations of families in the meeings. Daughter, Mother & Grandmother all worshipping side by side.

Luz once again started the training with a power point presentation on the milestones and needs of a 2 year old, including eating, potty training, play time and discipline. Luz is a trained Childhood Developement Teacher and does a great job with her presentations. I watch these new mom's soaking in the information like they have never seen it before and the light bulb is going on. They are very excited about learning new information as they love there children and want the best for them.

We welcomed new baby "Diego" at the meeting, pictured here with his Grandma.  We always enjoy these 3 hour meetings together. Everyone brings a drink or food item so we can share a meal together and catch up with each others lives. I am very much an accepted member of this ladies group. Some of the younger moms now come to me for advice. We are now like family to some of them and will be babysitting for a few of these moms also to give them a break once in awhile.

One of the biggest Joys for me is when it is time to give these moms a gift. They have so little, so it is a huge present for them to receive for their children. I made these Winnie The Pooh bags that were stuffed with crayons and coloring books to keep those 2 year old hands busy. Tammy does a great job organizing and administrating the meetings. Honestly, the 3 hours goes by quick as we are all having so much fun. My spanish is still very limited, but I get by the best I can and there are several ladies that speak english & are happy to interpret for me.

Our next Outreach & Early Childhood Development will be 3-4 year olds. If you would like to support our efforts & help us reach these moms and their children you can either refer people to our Small Sprouts shop or make a donation by clicking on the yellow "Donate" button on the side bar of this blog.

God Bless,
Christine

Conforming Desires

I think the one thing I have been hearing over the past week or so is that, simply put, the Lord is changing the desires of his people. We can look forward to the fact that if we submit to him in every area of our lives we shall surely be satisfied. Why? Because the Lord has every intention of not only changing the desires of our hearts according to his good, pleasing and perfect will but he also has every intention of fulfilling those desires that he places within us.

"Lord, all my desire is before thee; and my groaning is not hid from thee." Psalm 38:9

"Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart." Psalm 37:4

"He fulfills the desires of those who fear him; he hears their cry and saves them." Psalm 145:19

Look at those three verses. One, we set our desires before him. We set our hearts before him and ask him to strip us of our fleshly desires. That is Psalm 38:9. Secondly, the Lord gives us the desires of our hearts. Said another way, he puts his desires within us. We come to desire what he desires. That is Psalm 37:4. Thirdly, he fulfills the very desires that he places within us. That is Psalm 145:19.

Brethren, by this process we can't lose. We are guaranteed to win, to be content, to be at peace, to find real Joy in the Lord. We are guaranteed to be full of the life of God and the peace of God. We just need to have our desires changed and Trust him in the process.

When I was 24 years old I felt that the Lord was revealing to me that my calling was to eventually wind up in full-time ministry at some point in my life. The conventional path for most young men to fulfill that calling is to simply go to seminary, get their masters in theology and apply for jobs with churches somewhere. That was the path I tried to pursue initially. But I can tell you the Lord changed that desire in me very quickly.

I remember during that season of my life getting a verbal commitment from my church to academically sponsor me to attend a large Christian seminary in Ft. Worth, TX. I was quite elated about this. But in the waiting period of application and enrollment for the next years studies my heart began to suddenly change, but not by my own doing. You see, the Lord took away all desire from my heart to pursue that "conventional" path. I graduated Cum Laude from Midwestern State in 4 years with the equivalent of a double major in 1993. I like to study and learn. That wasn't the problem. The problem became the desires of my heart.

The Lord unexpectedly altered my course by changing my desires within. He changed the desires of my heart and in the process directed me to not attend that seminary and pursue a conventional path. In order to help facilitate the circumstances of that decision he baptized me in the Holy Spirit about 6 months later and had me receive the left foot of fellowship from my church.....I look back now and have no regrets.

The point I am making is that we are guaranteed peace, joy, contentment, a feeling of fullness and satisfaction in Christ when we settle down, open wide our hearts to him, allow him to cut away carnality through circumcision, change our desires in the process and then participate with Him through obedience in allowing him to fulfill those desires. That means we walk by faith according to his desires within us.

"Faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word (Rhema) of God." Romans 10:17

We walk by Faith. We hear God and obey what we are told to do, according to His desires within us. When we do this we are assured of victory in the Lord. We can't lose, except that we stop desiring change within us.

"What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don't they come from your desires that battle within you?" James 4:1

Desire what he desires and all will be well, both in this life and in the life to come. Stop struggling and desire His desires. What does he desire for us?

Lord change our desires. Cause us to desire what you desire for us.

Be Blessed,
JEB
www.miraclesinmerida.blogspot.com.