The Redeemed Power of the Thorns

The more I read the Bible, the more inclined I am to think that we have so missed the good news about Jesus.  Man seems to have a way of turning it all into something about ourselves…a man-centered, works orientation.  An example of this can be found in the story of the woman caught in adultery.  I have mentioned this before, but it just keeps unfolding in such grace that I am overwhelmed.

The woman was set up by those who wanted to use her to catch Jesus in a trap.  There you have Satan’s game plan from the beginning.  We are the woman.  Adam and Eve are the woman.  You see that the law used against the woman to bring the religious leader’s condemnation against her is a law that was established to keep her safe from those who would accuse and condemn.  That is not God.  The requirement “do not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil” was meant to keep them safe.  When the evil men took the woman to Jesus…naked, humiliated, and victim of their trap…their accusation and condemnation that she deserved death is the same scenario as Adam and Eve in the garden.

Romans 5:18: “Therefore, as through one man’s offense (judgment) came to all men resulting in condemnation, even so through one Man’s righteous act the free gift came to all men, resulting in justification of life.”

The word “judgment” in the above verse is an added word.  One of its meanings is verdict. The verdict that came on the woman caught in adultery did not come from Christ.  In the Garden of Eden the accuser of the brethren is the one who demanded a death of those who had been deceived.  Read the story of Job and you quickly see the same thing being played out.  This time,  it is against the righteous Job.  Satan brings an accusation.  In its fullness, he is bringing an accusation against God.  He is saying that God must prove to him (Satan) that Job is not serving God for what is in it for self.

Unfortunately, we are often taught that it is God’s condemnation that is against us.  We are taught that it took the kind Jesus to come and change God’s mind about us.  This is not what John 3:16 says.  It is time to let the whole scripture tell us the truth about God and ourselves in relationship with God.

“Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life” John 5:24.  The condemnation is Satan’s; not God’s.  God has given us a way out of the accuser’s judgment (verdict) and condemnation. 

Romans 5:20: “Moreover that law entered that the offense (unintentional or intentional) might abound.  But where sin abounded, grace abounded much more.”  In Hebrew pictographs, the emblem that means sin looks like a thorn and means thorn.  I find this fascinating.  Think of the word of God to Adam that one of the things that would happen now that sin (thorn) had entered the picture was the land would produce thorns and briers.  Think about Paul’s thorn in the flesh. Think about the parable of the Sower and the seeds that feel among the thorns.  Jesus described those thorns as cares, riches, and pleasures of life.  Think about the Lord’s crown of thorns.  What Satan means for our destruction, God turns for our good.  Briers and thorns were also used by the shepherds to make a covering/fence to keep wild animals from the herds/flocks.  From the pictographs, we also get the meaning of “to cover.”  When Jesus wore the crown of thorns, He literally wore a covering for all of us.

One point that I find important is that we often think/define “sin” as a doing of something bad.  The Hebrew pictographs really enlarge our understanding.  It is more correct to say that it is something that has happened to us.  When Paul referred to his thorn in the flesh, he said it was given to keep him from being proud.  He said it was from Satan.  Satan wanted him to give up on God because he had this situation.  Like Job, Paul was in partnership with God to prove that God is both just and the justifier (Romans 3:26).

This enlarged picture of what is really going on in this controversy between good and evil is really amazing.  This is truly a star wars battle.  We had been captured.  The hero came and gave us a way out.  Now, our privilege is to be indwelt by His power so that He can continue to do battle for us.  Like Paul, we may have our thorns in the flesh which are meant to destroy us by the evil one, but God steps in and helps us to live with the thorns until the battle is over.  Together, we prove that He is just and that He is correct in justifying us.  Those who worship God will worship in Spirit and truth. 

I think that Satan would like nothing better than the work of God be turned into a man-centered works orientation and we think that it is all about us being rescued because we were victims or bad.  The best picture that I find of the truth is the story of the woman caught in adultery.  After her accusers departed, Jesus asked her, “Woman, where are your accusers?”  She said that she did not have any.  Wow!  Is that not beautiful?  What did Jesus say then?  Neither do I condemn you, go and sin no more.  Don’t collect more thorns than you already have.  Live under the protection of the crown of thorns and by the power of the blood of the Lamb.  

Living Under the Power of a Lie

I recently realized that my tendency to be slow in the morning was an old belief about it being my responsibility to keep violence and conflict in control.  It is a belief that developed when I was a around eleven or twelve and all of us kids experienced an extremely violent display towards one of our brothers.   

Children do not really have a way of sorting these things out except in a way that it is somehow their fault.  They were not responsible enough.  They did not do or they did do something that caused this problem.  The adult responsibility for this inappropriate behavior is placed on them; the children pick up this burden in some way...either in perfectionism or in their own inappropriate behavior which is the working out of rage and/or deep grief.  Both extremes are an acting out of the trauma. 

I have noticed in the last several years that I really dread mornings, but I had not figured out why.  It is really a catch-twenty two situation because I love mornings!  Listening to the bird's sing, companionship with the glorious trees, sunshine, and quiet time with the Lord...what is not to like? 

In my young life there was something unpleasant (or the threat of something unpleasant) going on most of the time.  As soon as your feet hit the floor the stuff started and so did the responsibility.  As soon as your feet hit the floor--very telling words that explain my tendency to procrastinate in the morning.  If my feet do not hit the floor maybe I get to enjoy this peace a little longer? 

I have only become aware of this in the last several years of my life as I have entered that stage of less responsibility at home with more quite time.  This is a good example of have a lie can be driving you for years when there is not a logical reason for it.  Although the violence was in the past, the lie that I had to worry about violence and be responsible for controlling it was still there. 

I recently visited with a man who told me a little of his story.  He was seeking help for anxiety/panic.  He and siblings had been removed from their home due to all kinds of violence and abuse when he was six.  He was the oldest.  From six to fourteen, he did his best to take care of the others while they were in foster homes and other places...still being abused at times.  He, too, had a program that he could not relax because bad things would happen.  It has been causing health problems for years.  He is now in his forties and putting all the pieces together.    

Maybe recognizing his pain helped me get in touch with my own so I could find healing over this lie this morning.  The Scripture says to confess our faults to one another that we may find healing.  That is one of the things that seems to happen regularly at Lea's NHS.  When the lies and suppressed pain are exposed to the light of God's healing love, we all find healing.   Praise God! 

All our stories are a huge expose on evil.  Every recovery is a grand manifestation of God's Grace.  In the Garden of Eden, Adam and Eve chose to know good and evil.  We have all been experiencing the sins of the fathers/mothers ever since.  Even Science is now validating this principle.  Our way out is this confessing our faults (which are the result of wounds) to another and being healed.  The light dispels the darkness.  The real secret to our success in this is to be sure that we are sharing these things with those who are trustworthy.  I have seen people get up the courage to share something in a group setting, and immediately the group starts shutting down.  They do not know what to do with it all.  We need to be wise with whom we share these things.  

I have had requests for a training class on energy techniques that help you process stress/emotional/spiritual issues to find freedom.  Please let me know if you want your name added to the list of names to attend.  Also, let me know if you need daytime class or evening class.  God Bless.

The Standard of Truth

1 Timothy 4:1-2  “Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons, (2) speaking lies in hypocrisy having their own conscience seared with a hot iron.”

This kind of text is a light in a dark place.  What will we do with it?  To say that something happens in the latter times does not really help much.  Each generation can see theirs as the last generation.  We see and hear that happening now.  I have been waiting for the end to come all my life, and it is not all bad to have this vision.  I think it helps you pay more attention. 

The light continues to shine in the darkness as we are told that in the latter times “…some will depart from the faith…”  I believe that the “faith” is shown more clearly in the red words in the Bible.  It is not what man has done with it since the Lord’s time.  So, when you look for a departing from the faith, look at the red words as your standard of truth.

The light continues: giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons.  Now, this is not being spoken to those not in the church.  These are church folks who will depart from the “faith.”  An example of this would be the experience of the fall in the Garden.  They had the “faith.”  It gave them the truth—who they were in God.  It gave them the truth—there was a way that was true and a way that was false.  It gave them the truth—the key was staying in a relationship of trust and love.  The fruit of that relationship was obedience. 

Enter the deceiving spirit and doctrine of a demon.  The first thing the devil did was to use a medium that seemed trustworthy…another one of God’s creations.  There are a lot of lessons for us just in this.  The next thing the devil did was to distort the words of God by saying: “Has God indeed said, ‘You shall not eat of every tree of the garden?’”  This is not what God had said.  And Eve entered into a conversation with the devil in which she was correcting the devils words.  Again there are so many warnings here for us. 

The light shines on: speaking lies in hypocrisy…the conscience seared.  Lies in hypocrisy means persons pretending to have divine inspiration and an extraordinary degree of holiness.  That was the devil.  He insinuated that God did not mean what God had said and that God was limiting their experience.  We can hear this same reasoning in the world today.  Distortion, insinuation, and contradiction…the devil is leading the woman to where she will accept a lie…”thou shalt not surely die.”  On earth, it was the first lie.

Unless we know the word of God, we will not know when it is being distorted.  There are many deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons that are being taught.  Many people are putting their own experiences ahead of the word of God.  Our experiences cannot define our beliefs.  The Bible must be the standard by which we measure truth.  Experience does not take the place of God’s word.  That truly is idolatry.  Experience becomes our God, and then we use distorted scripture to dress it up and make it sound good.  This was done in the Garden.  Satan repeated the tactic in the wilderness in Jesus’ temptation.  It did not  work…praise God. 

There is much that I do not understand as I observe what is going on in this world.  However, I have decided to be in the Word of God and know what it says…via the Holy Spirit…not man’s interpretation.  Man actually has not done such a good job.  It seems everyone believes something different.  The Holy Spirit does not do that to us…”When He the Spirit of Truth is come, He will guide you into all truth. John 16:13”  This is such good news for us, and I hope it encourages you, too, to be in the red words.  God bless!

A Way Out of Insanity

Have you ever felt like every thing you did just went wrong.  You turned on the light, and it did not come on.  You dropped everything you picked up.  Everything you go to do feels harder…even heavier than it should.  Walking feels harder.  Stair steps feel harder.  I mean a person could begin to feel paranoid!  To top it off, your lack of patience with it all just leaves you feeling undone.  Then when you get really still for a minutes, look around, watch others, and listen to others, you understand that others do not seem to be having these problems. (They probably are on another day.)

Well, I am going to go out on a limb here and suggest that just like when you become aware that you are being called up to a higher place regarding relationships, that the stuff of daily life may contain a call to a place of freedom.  The messenger is in your trial.  I believe that we wrestle not against flesh and blood.  Huumm…why have I missed it that the powers of the spiritual arena may be playing games with my life? 

We are born with an inheritance—physical, emotional, and spiritual—that we must submit to the dying daily part of our experience.  The overcoming potential is in all three realms.  What do I mean?  My mother was abused as a child.  Her life was full of abuse, deprivation (Depression years), and a rage-oholic father.  She gave birth to me when she was about sixteen.  My inheritance was very lacking on all three levels.  The Scripture says that the sins of the father's are visited on the children unto the third and fourth generation.

It is interesting that science is proving that mice carry and pass down to the offspring the traumas they developed and inherited. These take three to four years to be eliminated.  This gives us an understanding now that we are not all born equal.  There is not a one-size-fits-all solution for anyone.  As a baby being born into my mother’s difficult life and with the limited physical and emotional reserves available to me, it is no wonder that I spent a lot of my childhood “checked out.” 

Some of this spiritual inheritance that all of us receive is not our own…it is what has been passed down.  Things like rage, grief, hate, vengeance, suicide, etc.  This is an actual family spirit/stronghold that we have to deal with that makes life more difficult than it would have been without it.  I have been paying attention to these daily irritations.  I decided to pray about them, and the Lord showed me a spirit of vengeance (not mine) and some other things which actually let the vengeance of someone else come upon me.  I have been wrestling against the flesh…the things that the evil one has been using to get at me and make days harder.  In this situation, I did not need to accept this.  After prayer, I sensed that it was gone. 

Without this knowledge of science and Scripture and prayer coming together, we are actually victimized over and over.  We keep trying to bring sanity out of insanity.  We keep trying to manage things that are not even ours.  This has all been interesting to me.  Sometimes I wonder why in the world I have had the opportunity to learn all this.  I am grateful and know that my life would have ended early without this information.  However, it is sometimes overwhelming.  If any of you would like more information on this subject, please let me know.  God bless!

Releasing and Rejoicing

The Chinese perspective in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is that we have three brains…gut, heart, mind.  Science is validating this way of looking at things.  We now have a deeper understanding of the gut neural tissues which are filled with important neurotransmitters revealing that our mental state is determined, in part, by this dynamic.  It also plays a key role in certain diseases.  And science shows that the heart organ is intelligent and that it can lead the brain in our interpretation of the world around us, and the actions we chose to take.

What I love about all this research is that it validates the Scripture.  “As a man thinks in his heart, so is he.”  “Out of the abundance of the heart flow the issues of life.”

I think this information can also explain the reason we sometimes have trouble releasing and letting go.  We have probably dealt with it on the level of brain/intellect but not on the level of the other two brains: gut and heart.  This has enormous potential for our healing on all levels.  This gives us a different type of understanding and power.  This type of power is very different than the “force” mode in which we tend to live and work. 

 A beautiful example of this power is modeled in the Hebrew sanctuary service.  In the compartment called the holy place, was the table of shewbread, the menorah, and the altar of incense.  The altar of incense was a place of intercession.  It modeled our Lord’s work for us as intercessor. At the altar of incense, the priest would sprinkle the incense on the hot coals.  That created a fragrant white cloud through which the priest would walk to go into the most holy place.  This is beautiful!  That fragrant white cloud represents the white robe of righteousness of Jesus that allows Him (and us) to come into God’s presence.  It also symbolizes the role of Jesus after His resurrection and ascension when He took His blood to the Father.

The altar of incense had four horns…one on each corner.  Scripture study shows that “horns” are often mentioned in the Bible.  It is in the context of the horns of the wicked being cut of and the horns of the righteous being made strong.  You see, it is the righteousness of God that makes our "horns" (will power) strong.  The priest would anoint those four horns with the blood of the Lamb during this stage of ministry.  This is the power that we get to experience.  Nothing is our responsibility.  It is all God’s agenda and we are instruments…anointed horns.  Some even see that the significance of there being four horns correlates to there being four chambers in our hearts.  I am sure that four is significant.  The whole picture of the priest anointing the four horns and sprinkling the altar with incense (His righteousness) is such a tender scene.  It shows the intimate caring daily of our Savior.  It shows that we have no power that is ours.

Releasing goes hand in hand with rejoicing.  There is a way that seems rights to a man and the end thereof is the ways of death.  This is the way of “force.”  All our imagined responsibilities cause us to feel overwhelmed.  Then we kick into forcing our way whether it is with others, or our own body being overworked and undernourished.  Positions and prestige are opportunities for “force” to work itself out.  The only way we can overcome this tendency is to have the daily anointing to the horns (will power).  

The three brains—mind, gut, and heart—need this anointing daily.  That means that God’s true power in us creates an anointed trinity within us.  A double minded man is unstable in all his ways the Bible says.  These scientific truths help us understand that this is not just a nice saying, it is cosmic principle.  We can embrace this truth and be made free.  This is such good news, and it is a wonderful place for releasing and rejoicing as we become a new creation daily.

Transformation--The Ongoing Invitation

Transformation, in the Scripture, is an ongoing invitation.  John 6 is one of those discussions about transformation that Jesus had with disciples and others who listened.  He was telling the group that He was the bread that came down.  They could eat of Him and never be hungry again.    

The Jews (verse 41) complained about Him..."is now this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know?  How is it then that He says, 'I have come down from heaven?'"  (verse 42)  We think "we know" something of Christ, but it is based in the physical.  There is a message of transformation...come up to a higher place, see through the eyes of Spirit.   

He cautions us to not murmur against each other (verse 44).  I take it to mean that we should not murmur against Him either...seeing in Him the limitations of the flesh..."is not this Jesus?"    Jesus tells us that no one comes to Him unless the Father calls them.  Verse 45: "It is written in the prophets, And they shall be taught by God.  Therefore, everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to Me." 

Jesus is not a God that excludes people.  This is such good news to each of us.  Again, He calls us to transform our thinking and being.  At one point, the disciples got bent out of shape because others were casting out demons in Jesus' name.  They thought it was just about them.  They had a spirit of the Pharisees.  They were better.  Jesus tore that lie down!  His door is open, and it includes you and me and any that have in someone way been taught by God.   

He was talking to them about eating His flesh and drinking His blood.  This really upset them.  They refused to see more than the carpenter's son.  They refused to move beyond the physical to the spiritual teaching.  Verse 63:  "It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing.  The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life."  Jesus was trying to move them to an understanding that without His flesh and blood they had no way to move from the physical to the spiritual path.   

He is our spiritual sustenance.  The Kingdom of Heaven is neither eat or drink, but righteous, peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.  Righteousness is God's and comes from God.  Peace is from Jesus...My peace I give unto you.  Joy in the Holy Ghost is the transformation that comes from the first two, neither of which come through us.  Praise the Lord...we would find some way of taking credit for it.   

Our spiritual arrogance, just like the disciples, seeks to find some way in which we are better than others.  We spend so much time and energy in fighting over doctrinal differences.  Oh, that we were known for what we are for instead of what we are against.  We don't seem to have a way of separating the person from what they believe.  Jesus said that what we have done to others, we have done to Him.  Do we believe that God can be trusted with His own defense...if He needs one?   Do we know with certainty what we believe so that we have no place in our lives to be defensive over anything else that someone else may believe.  I speak these words, not to be harsh, but as a reminder for each of us.   

If we will spend extra time in the "red words," we will see the gospel that Jesus taught.  It is important to see Jesus in this light.  I think that much of the discord that the apostles and disciples experienced with each other in the early church is because they started getting away from the "red words."  They became too involved in building the church kingdom on earth (physical) instead of the spiritual kingdom that is internal. 

In 1 Corinthians 11:29, we are told to "rightly discern the body and blood of Christ.  Because we do not, there are many sick and dying.  In John 6, the Lord is saying the same thing in another way.  Let us see His words as body and heavenly DNA that can help us transform....move from the physical to the heavenly and spiritual.  By beholding Him, we become changed. 

The Wonderful Biofield

I want to give you some information that may save your life or at least help you with pain, stress, and other symptoms that no one can find an answer for.  All the work we do at Lea's NHS falls into the category of energy work.  The acupuncture system is an energetic system...not physical.  It affects the physical, however.  In the last 15 to 20 years, the research that is available to us regarding the energetic systems of the body has validated this type of work.  With these opening thoughts, let's get into an explanation of the Biofield. 

In 1994, the U.S. National Institute  of Health (NIH) established the term "Biofield."  A Biofield is an ensemble or matrix of different energies that extend outward from each person's body.  According to the latest theories and research in biophysics, the Biofield comprises many of the life energies to human wellness.  These Biofield energies regulate and balance multiple systems that range from the cellular to the whole person.  Metaphorically, the Biofield functions as both the musical orchestra and the music of overall vitality, ensuring the harmonious performance necessary for well-being.   

The Biofield provides a scientific foundation for energetic chiropractic, acupuncture, acupressure, electrodermal screening, Healing Touch, homeopathy, magnet therapy and phototherapy.  The Biofield explains many phenomena critical to wellness that cannot be explained in the traditional biological model.  For example, multiple studies that have documented energy healing can best be explained using the Biofield hypothesis. 

One of the key functions of the Biofield is to strengthen our ability of cope with stress.  You need to be able to adapt to stress in a positive way, or it will have very negative consequences to your well-being and performance.

 

Physical, emotional, mental and environmental stress can rupture the integrity of the Biofield.  Researchers report that energy imbalances and blockages occur in the Biofield due to trauma, stress, abuse, deficiencies, negative emotions and beliefs, outside pathogens or auto-intoxication and immune dysfunction.  Computers, TVs, cellphones, and other electronic devices emit electromagnetic radiation that also disrupt the Biofield and place stress on your body--causing tension, fatigue, headaches, and more.   

The weaker your Biofield, the less able it is to resist additional stress.   When this happens, it seriously compromises your ability to function.  Many authorities, such as the Harvard Medical School, link chronic stress to a host of adverse health issues.  Balanced Biofields appear to supply energy to maintain a healthy state of matter.  A strong Biofield helps the body cope with stress and this avoid health problems. 

Working with this information and system for over 15 years, I have seen some amazing results.  I believe that we are living in a time in which this info can be a game changer for us.  It moves us from victim to proactive participant.  I believe the Bible models this type of work from the hands of Jesus (and other stories, too).  If this is something that you are interested in getting more info, please let me know.  God bless!