Apron Strings Devotional for7/21/99

7/21/99

Good Morning....
Jesus loves You!!

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The closer you come to My heart, the more intensely you will experience My love and understand My ways. You will become more concerned about what is eternal and less concerned about the difficulty of the journey.

-Cynthia Heald-

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Hello again, Dear Friends!!!

I hope this finds your week going well in our Lord Jesus! This devotional is a rerun, but one that is stirring my own heart for an encore.

As you allow God's Spirit to minister to you today, you can do what my lil Noah does. You can go running toward others, drenched with the Living Water, and exclaim, "Daddy give me baf!"

Be blessed my Friends.. See you at the end!

For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
Matt 6:21

How do we get this faith so that the eyes of our heart are opened? How do we get our intellectual understanding of biblical truths transferred from our mind to our hearts? The answer to this question is utterly practical. We must develop a secret relationship with God.

Jesus asked his followers. "How can you believe, when you receive glory from one another, and you do not seek the glory that is from the one and only God?" (John 5:44). Jesus knew that one of the most destructive factors undermining true faith is our desire for human recognition, so He emphatically warned us against it:

Matt 6:1-6
Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them: otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven. Therefore when thou doest thine alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth: That thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly. And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.

...The one who really believes in the resurrection in his heart becomes increasingly focused on laying up fruit for eternal life. When we really believe, we will begin to build that secret relationship with the Father, not wanting anyone but our Father to know about our alms or prayers. When our treasure really is being deposited in our "heavenly bank account," then where our treasure is, there will our hearts be also (Matt 6:21). When our hearts are with the Father in heaven, the eyes of our hearts start to open, and those things that are eternal become more real to us than the things that are passing away. This deep, life-changing process explains an important factor in the nature of true faith.

-By: Rick Joyner-
Excerpt from: "The Journey Begins"

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"The only thing that matters is to please Me," that was the word that woke me a few days ago, and it has not gone away....The word---that simple word---reminded me of those other words, "All that pleases is but for a moment. Only the eternal is important.".... Are any of you tried about anything? I think if you listen you will hear Him say, "The only thing that mattes is to please Me."

-Amy Carmichael-
From: "Edges of His Ways"

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Desire Me

My child, there is nothing
that you could do
to turn My eyes from you.
I have called you before time,
the stars and sun,
so that we maybe one.

Do not fear thoughts you may have
or things you've done.
I am the greatest love.
Forgiving you is My gift.
loving you, My pleasure.
So press on, child, endure.

I am ever here for you,
just call My name.
On your knees, seek My face.
Then drink of My waters,
bask in My fires.
Make your God your desire.

And I will provide the light
in the secret place
you run to night and day.
Though at times you may falter,
I am here with you.
I will never leave you.

I want to be that which you desire
most in your life.

-By: Lori Campisano-Poet4JC@aol.com
( Psalm 63 )
Thanks Lori!

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Me again!!

I remember when I got saved, almost 15 years ago, how zealous I was for Christ and my newfound faith. Since then, I have found myself in many wilderness experiences, that I wouldn't take a dollar and a quarter for. Why? Because it was those places that torched the seams together, as the Refiner's fire continued to strengthen this "vessel." And so it continues...

I have had many ups and downs since that awesome night of January 13, 1984. But I look back in retrospect, and realize that I have indeed been climbing a mountain. My Guide, the Holy Spirit has never steered me in wrong directions. However, there were times when I went off on my own to check out other things that caught my eye, and through those episodes, I got off the path.. But I thank God above, that as I noticed, what "looked good" from a distance, suddenly didn't look so good close up.

I would squint my eyes, and try to focus back on the direction that I remembered brought me much peace. I didn't always find it right away. The thorns and thistles of the other paths would attempt to block my way. But it was there, and it was waiting for me to press onward. And so it continues...

Someone recently shared with me that it seemed really hard to get past the "head" relationship with God, and get it worked in the heart. I totally understand that one. But as I go on, day by day....I see something that astounds me. God is most definitely doing an inner work in my heart, and I can say with confidence that I am not the same person I was yesterday, nor will I be the same tomorrow. This is a DAILY walk, and changes are occurring as we continue to seek God, as we get to know Him more and MORE.

As I was reading some prayer requests in my email, there was one that caught my eye and it hit home, because it involved a child. Now, even though it affected me, it didn't affect me as much as it would have if it were my own child. Mostly in part, because I didn't know this child...I haven't supped with this child, I didn't know the smell of her hair, nor have I ever seen the twinkle in her eye, when she felt joy in her life. Now, if she was my own child, or even a relative or a neighbor's child ...it would have affected me on a different level. Then I would have been able to relate "personally" because this child was a tangible part of my life.

Now, take that thought and apply it to our life in Christ. There is no way we can "know" Jesus, unless we KNOW Jesus. We wouldn't be affected in our Christian walk the same way if we had never known Him, never supped with Him..never known the "smell" of His presence. It is hard to be personally affected by what you've never known, or never even "got to know."

I guess what I am trying to convey here, is I believe the heart relationship comes as we continue on in fellowship, even if we have messed up in the past. It's not too late to continue on the trek, and get to know Jesus. One might ask, "Well, exactly how do I do that?" I thought you'd never ask!

Over a year ago, God gave me a simple commission, and it was in the form of Psalm 46:10:

"Be still and know that I am God."

Since that time, I have learned that I cannot learn about God, nor know about God, nor love God, until I allow that one verse to permeate my heart. I can only begin to do that by obeying the first two words of this verse. When that revelation began to do it's inner workings, the only thing I usually found myself uttering were these words: "I am still, and YOU are God."

As it became "life" to me, my eyes were opened to a vast storehouse of even more revelation. It was if a dam had broken in my life. The dam was the wall of my heart, and the reason it broke, was because finally, I was still, and I realized, HE was God!

He has continued to supply "fresh manna" every day that I would look for it, but there have been days since then, that there was manna waiting for me, and on those days, I found myself doing one of two things. I would either try to feed off the manna He gave me a few days before, or I would not eat any at all. I allowed the hustle and bustle of life in this world to consume me, and on those days I "fasted" God. Either one of those scenarios always left me spiritually short-sighted...and restless.

I see that as a "bakery outlet" analogy. Someone once told me, "Carol, you gotta go to the bakery outlet, and get your bread...it's day old bread, but it's just as good as the fresh bread and so much cheaper!" So I thought I would give it a try. Well, I got some, and I found out that it was cheaper, but the other comparison I didn't agree with.

There have been times I walked into the grocery store right behind the bread man, and he was stocking fresh bread. I could still see the steamy vapor inside the wrapper, and as soon as I got a chance, I would put my hand to the fresh warm loaf, and bask in the moment of "me and my bread." Of course you know I took some to the house! I ran to the kitchen, slapped some sliced tomato between two pieces and dabbed a lil mayo on it, ( that's a delicacy here in the south...mmm ) Then I squished it between my teeth, as I savoured the aroma of this "fresh from the oven" bread.

And that is what God wants to give us, Friends. "Fresh bread, baked DAILY" We sometimes, in our haste, head to the bakery outlet in our spiritual walk, grabbing day old bread, and try to live off of it for the rest of the week. Didn't my friend say it was cheaper? Sure, it costs more for fresh manna. It costs more of my time...it costs my priorities, and in essence, it costs me my life. But look at the quality I am receiving.

As I am being still and knowing that He is God...something is happening that I can't see with my natural eyes. The bread is baking, the aroma is so intense, and my tastebuds anticipate this incomparable manna, while the Holy Spirit "butters" the top. This butter melts into the very core of my being..and I begin to get a taste of what Paul meant, as my day begins:

Rom 8:37-39
Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Today, I have the opportunity to "be still, and know that He is God." And Lord willing, if I have tomorrow, I can do the same. Another translation of that verse says, "Cease from striving and learn of Me." In other words, "Stop trying to play the role of the Holy Spirit." I cannot earn my way into heaven no matter how hard I try. It's a done deal. It was taken care of at the cross where my Jesus died for me.

My role is to sit at the feet of the Master Baker, and offer myself to receive His manna, and as I partake of the mouth-watering bread that He offers, I share it with others. And so it continues... ( smile )

John 6:35
And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.

God Bless You All!!
And remember..
Jesus loves you and I do too!

In Christ!!
Carol
Justaservn@aol.com

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